Collecting Mini Dump file from Windows 2003 Server

Summary:

Under Windows 2003 Server, sometimes Dr. Watson logs are not generated when an application crashes. However, mini dump files are always generated for the Windows error reporting service. Unfortunately by default this service queues notifications and doesn’t usually alert the user until the server is rebooted. Below are instructions on configuring the Windows error reporting service to instantly display a dialog when a crash occurs, and how to retrieve the crash information.

Description:

To stop the Windows error reporting service from queuing crash information:
- Open the registry editor (Start -> Run -> regedit)
- Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PCHealth\ErrorReporting\
- Change the DWORD ForceQueueMode value to 0
- Restart the machine
To retrieve the mini dump file when an application crashes.
- After an application crashes a dialog with the following title will be displayed:
“(Application Name) has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.”
- Click the “click here” hyperlink
- A second dialog will appear with an “Error signature” section and a “Reporting details” section. Keep a record of the “AppVer”.
- Click the “click here” that follows “To view technical information about the error report”.
- A third dialog with 2 complete paths will be displayed. They usually follow the format of:
(System Partition):\DOCUME~1\ADMINI~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\(Folder name starting with W)\(File name)
- Open Windows Explorer and navigate to the folder the starts with “W”
- (Do not dismiss any of the dialogs; doing so will remove the folder)
- Copy the folder to the desktop
- Create a text file and enter the “AppVer” into it, and add the file to the folder on the desktop
- ZIP the folder and send it to Group Logic